The Three Houses
by Freelance Fanfictioner
Summary: Professor Snape, the Hogwarts Headmaster, makes the bold decision to disband the House of Slytherin. Problem is, his daughter Anna isn't going to take it in her stride... sequel to "The Headmaster's Children"
1. Chapter 1

Anna Snape twirled her eyelashes around her wand and accentuated her full lips with pink lipstick. Her best friend, Lavinia Malfoy, was about to arrive, and Anna knew how impatient Vinny always was when people were late. Lavinia herself was very punctual. Sure enough, in a few seconds Anna heard the doorbell ringing, and Lavinia's voice from below.

"I'll be down in a second!" Anna called, and hurried downstairs, taking two steps at a time, which made her beige skirt flap up to her knees. She wore a light, flowery summer top, and her chestnut hair was neatly pulled back in a ponytail, which, she figured, should be enough for an informal dinner.

"I won't be out late, Mum," said Anna, planting a quick kiss on her mother's cheek, and the two girls went out into the garden, searching for a convenient spot in which to Disapparate – Anna and Lavinia, who had both recently turned seventeen and were about to start their final year in Hogwarts, recently passed their Apparition test, but were not yet entirely comfortable with the art of Apparating and Disapparating. They always looked for patches of smooth, soft ground on which it was easiest to turn, and without any nearby bushes or brambles that could catch their clothes and make them topple off balance.

"How do I look?" asked Lavinia.

"Terrific," Anna said truthfully. This was no exaggeration. Lavinia was wearing an elegant black dress, and tiny pearl earrings shone in her ears. Her long dark hair framed her pale face and fell upon her back in a smooth curtain. Her grey eyes were deep icy lakes, and her finely shaped lips were painted with red lipstick.

"My mother told me that I must go and show that – that woman how she can never hope to be a true Malfoy when it comes to style and breeding," told Lavinia, "but I still wouldn't come if I didn't have you for company, so thanks for agreeing to come along, Anna."

Anna frowned. This has been a constant source of friction between her and Lavinia for the past year.

"We are best friends, Vinny," said Anna, "but I will never agree with you about Hermione. I've known her my whole life, and she's a really, really nice person."

Lavinia made a derisive noise.

"I will never understand why my father married her," she said, "she is older than my mother, and really plain-looking. I wish I knew what she did to catch my father and make him so infatuated with her. We could both take lessons from her," she smiled wickedly.

"Rubbish," Anna said coldly, "I'm sorry, Vinny, but you are talking nonsense. My mother told me in secret that Hermione had loads of doubts before she agreed to marry your Dad."

All in all, the two girls were rather cross with each other when they had arrived at the small London flat which, for the past year, has been home to Draco and Hermione, and recently also to the youngest of the Malfoys – baby Emmeline.

"Hello, Lavinia," said Hermione, who was wearing a pale blue dress and looking elegant, though without the sophistication Lavinia would have expected from a woman whose rank in society was now so much elevated, "and you brought Anna along too, that's lovely." Hermione gave Anna a genuine smile, relieved to see the comfort of a friendly face next to Lavinia's sour one.

Lavinia looked as though she was half considering to turn back and leave right then, but the next moment she was firmly steered in by her father, who had already picked up Scorpius earlier. Rose and Hugo, Hermione's children from her first marriage, were already there too, looking apprehensive. They were as pleased to see Anna as their mother was. The only one who looked truly relaxed was baby Emmeline, who was cooing happily in her bassinet.

"Ooh, Emmy looks so much bigger after I hadn't seen her for a month!" Anna exclaimed happily, "may I hold her, Hermione?"

"Of course," said Hermione, smiling. Anna picked up the baby. Emmeline Malfoy had her mother's brown hair, her father's gray eyes, and the chubby cheeks, arms and legs of most babies.

The dinner was supposed to be a sort of family party – Draco and Hermione were going to take advantage of the last weeks of summer and retreat to their cottage at the south of France; they would only return to see the children off to school. Lavinia promised to take Scorpius shopping for his school supplies in Diagon Alley, and Rose and Hugo were to go with the Potters.

Whatever Lavinia said, Anna didn't think Hermione was so very plain. She was a nice-looking woman with a tall, lean figure, and she looked younger than her forty years. Though, of course, she didn't look quite as dashing as Mr. Malfoy in his expensive suit and with his sleek blonde hair neatly brushed back – nor, Anna had to admit, as beautiful as the first Mrs. Malfoy, Astoria, from whom her best friend inherited her beauty.

Still, Anna believed Draco and Hermione to be a fine couple, and better suited to one another than most people thought. Of course, being a child of a similarly unlikely but nevertheless very happy union, Anna tended to be more broad-minded about love and relationships than other girls her age.

The dinner was not a fun affair. Lavinia sat haughty and sulking, in a sour silence, eating little and talking even less. Rose and Scorpius didn't seem to like each other any more since becoming step-siblings. Hugo was clearly feeling awkward as well. The only conversation deserving of its name was between Draco, Hermione and Anna.

"Are you looking forward to your final year at school, Lavinia?" Hermione boldly ventured. Lavinia looked up from her plate indifferently.

"I was hoping to become Head Girl," she said in a bored voice, "but it looks like Anna's going to get it, she was more distinguished as a Prefect last year." And she retreated into silence once more.

"Rose, Scorpius, I expect you'll try for your House Quidditch teams?" asked Draco.

"Dunno," mumbled Rose.

"I s'pose," shrugged Scorpius.

To sum it up, Hermione was glad when dinner was over, Lavinia and Anna were gone, and Rose, Hugo and baby Emmeline were tucked in their beds.

"Tomorrow our vacation begins," were her husband's last words before he fell asleep, an expression of vast contentment on his face. In the darkness, Hermione closed her eyes. The dear cottage at the south of France, where they had spent their honeymoon! How she loved that place! She had loved France ever since she had visited it as a child with her now elderly parents.

She loved this London flat, too. It was ridiculously small compared to Malfoy Manor, or even to the house where Lavinia and Scorpius Malfoy spent their childhood, but it was cozy and bright, and decorated with the sort of modern, efficient elegance that suited her and Draco as a couple without the prospect of having a numerous family, which was unlikely, taking her age into account. Emmeline was likely to remain their only common child. They only had two bedrooms – one for them and one for the baby. They figured Rose and Hugo would always want to spend some of their summers at The Burrow, and for the few weeks out of each year when they come, they could kip on a camp bed in the living room. The thought of camp beds in her son's household was, naturally, shocking to Narcissa Malfoy, but otherwise it suited everyone involved.

As for Lavinia and Scorpius, this was even less of an issue, as to Draco's dismay, his children showed very little inclination to visit him at his new home, and when they did stay overnight, it was only after making sure Hermione's children weren't there.


	2. Chapter 2

ֳThe sunset of next day found Hermione sitting in a recliner, rocking sleeping Emmeline and watching the red glint of the dying sun on the surface of the sea. She let out a contented sigh. The peacefulness of this place was like balm for her soul after the busy bustle of London.

She saw the tall, manly figure of her husband approaching her, a smile on his lips and two glasses of red wine in his hands. Hermione carefully pulled out one hand from underneath Emmy's sleepy little body, took a glass of wine from Draco, and took a sip. The wine was like velvet on her tongue.

Draco took a seat in the recliner next to hers and sipped his wine. Even now, after a year of marriage and a child, both of them felt this is like a dream.

"I'm so glad we bought this place," said Hermione.

"Me too," replied Draco, "the area was highly recommended by Professor Snape, though he did warn me that he has sentimental feelings towards it. This is where he and Mrs. Snape spent their honeymoon all those years ago."

When Anna told Lavinia that Hermione had had her share of misgivings about marrying Draco Malfoy, she did not exaggerate. After his divorce, Draco, still very good-looking and almost ridiculously rich, became once more one of the most eligible bachelors in the British wizarding community. He was expected to remarry, of course, but people thought he was sure to choose a young carefree beauty, not a widow nearing her fortieth birthday, weighed down by the care of two children and disconsolate in-laws.

Everyone around Hermione kept telling her just how lucky she is to be courted by such a man, a quite a few eyebrows were raised when it became known that Draco, a pure-blood heir, is going to marry a Muggle-born. But only the people closest to Hermione knew she was marrying not the rich and handsome Draco Malfoy, but a man who had become her friend in the year following her husband's death, who had loved her with silent devotion for most of his adult life, and who had sacrificed his father's freedom and the good name of his family to avenge Ron Weasley's murder.

Still, it was not without a doubt that she walked down the aisle a year and a half after losing Ron.

Hermione closed her eyes. She remembered this like it was yesterday. The ceremony was to take place at Malfoy Manor, and Hermione, who was supposed to come downstairs in half an hour, was making last-minute preparations with the help of Ginny Potter, who was lacing Hermione into her snug dress of green satin which she had chosen for the wedding. Both women were crying, because they couldn't help but remember the previous time Ginny was Hermione's bridesmaid, nearly twenty years ago now.

"Oh, Ginny," whispered Hermione, "I do hope I'm doing the right thing."

Ginny looked straight at Hermione, dropping her pretense of fussing about the lacy cover of Hermione's dress.

"Hermione, you are supposed to be downstairs getting married in thirty minutes. Don't tell me you are having second thoughts now."

"I just wonder," Hermione's voice was barely audible, "whether this isn't – isn't... too soon."

Ginny's expression softened, and she gently stroked Hermione's hair.

"It isn't an insult to Ron's memory to be happy again," she whispered, "Ron loved you, he would have wanted you to – to move on... it's just that -"

"That you wouldn't have expected me to move on with Draco Malfoy," concluded Hermione.

"It does take time to get used to," Ginny said gently.

Hermione knew that. All the gossip-lovers had savored the idea that Hermione Weasley was marrying the son of her husband's murderer, and those who remembered the enmity between them at school had even wilder guesses about how and why the match might be taking place, ranging from Amortentia to the Imperius curse. Finally, why fool herself? It took her some time to get used to the idea as well.

She didn't quite remember the ceremony, which was very quiet and forever remained like a blur in her memory. There was no music, no dancing, just a small reception for their limited number of guests, about half of whom were the Weasleys.

Once they had been left alone in Draco's old bedroom, which had been spruced up and decorated for the occasion, Hermione felt her knees weaken as she gave in to the strain of past weeks. She sank onto the great canopied bed, on which, she now knew, the young Draco Malfoy had spent many sleepless nights thinking about her. It still all seemed surreal, and even more so was the gentle way he took her hand as he sat next to her, allowing her to rest her head against his shoulder. Well, what did she expect, Hermione chastised herself, that he would rip her clothes off then and there? They were not teenagers anymore, after all.

"Hey, Granger," she heard his quiet voice and smiled.

"Yes, Malfoy?" she replied playfully.

"I know what you are thinking right now."

"And what would that be?"

"You are wondering whether you have just committed an act of madness."

Hermione looked at him, startled. She surveyed his handsome face, the clear gray eyes. She didn't expect him to be so blunt.

"You are wondering whether you should have married me, and that's understandable. But Hermione, I believe in healing. I believe it's never too late to change things. Otherwise I wouldn't have proposed to you – twice, until you accepted me, to be exact."

He had been right, Hermione thought as she stroked Emmeline's silky hair. She was happy now, even though she often felt confused about her new identity these days. As Hermione Weasley, she led a quiet life. As Mrs. Malfoy, she had all money could buy and was constantly in the spotlight, in the company of old, well-bred wizarding families, to some of whose norms she was forced to conform, as much as she disliked it. However, she stayed true to herself in refusing to have a house elf.

She had avoided, as much as possible, comparing her new husband to Ron, although she couldn't help noticing, of course, how vastly different they were. Ron, her childhood friend, was reassuringly familiar – when she had married him, she already knew everything about him. With Draco, she felt as though they were just getting to know each other after a year of marriage. Ron was funny, goofy and often tactless; Draco was handsome and dashing, elegant and well-bred and very self-controlled.

She had gotten used to the idea that she would probably always miss Ron, and Draco had never attempted to replace him, as he understood that would be impossible. But she had also found happiness in her new marriage, in her new life.

What concerned her most was the children from the previous marriages of them both, and the relationships between them. Astoria kept poisoning the minds of her son and daughter against Hermione, Lavinia became cold and distant with her father, and Rose and Scorpius seemed unable to be within five feet of each other without fighting. Hugo was very apprehensive about his mother's new husband, and insisted on calling Draco "Mr. Malfoy."

It will all be set to right sooner or later, Hermione assured herself. The children will get used to the new situation. As for herself... she will let go of the guilt for having fallen in love again, and with the man everybody would least expect, too.

She smiled, savoring the first night of her long-awaited vacation.


	3. Chapter 3

"No," Anna said in a horrified voice, "no, Daddy, you can't possibly mean what you just said, you can't -"

"I'm afraid I'm more than serious, Anna," Severus Snape said grimly.

"But – but Hogwarts is all about the four Founders, the four houses! You can't just – just go and dismiss one of them!"

"There is no need to be so dramatic," said Severus, even though he disliked this situation even more than his daughter, "nobody is dismissing Slytherin, it will be simply – simply disbanding the older students, for their own good and for the benefit of the entire school. Or so the board of governors claims," he scowled, which made Anna soften somewhat towards her father.

"But Daddy, you are the Headmaster! You were head of Slytherin for many years! You don't have to let this happen."

"I cannot overrule the entire board of governors, Anna," Snape shook his head. "If only some of them had been on my side... but unfortunately, they are adamant that the change must take place."

"I just don't understand why," Anna said tearfully.

"Even I cannot deny Slytherin has been a bigger source of trouble than the rest of the houses put together," admitted Snape, "The Dark Lord. The Death Eaters. Curses in the corridors. Promotion of hatred and disdain towards Muggles and Muggle-borns. That sinister collaboration of certain students with the murderers of Ronald Weasley a couple of years ago -"

Noticing Anna's mortification, he stopped. It had been her ex-boyfriend, Thorbjorn Rowle, who had had a hand with Ron's Weasley's murder, though this version was never officially proven, and Severus knew his daughter didn't need him to help rub it in.

"I'm lucky to avoid the gale of expulsions some of the governors insisted on," he concluded.

"The only reason some Slytherins are trouble-makers is because it's a house for ambitious people, and well, with kids this often runs into mischief," insisted Anna, "consider how many successful careers came out of being in Slytherin – I'm sure some people are simply jealous of that, and that's why they want to destroy our house!"

"Slytherin won't be destroyed," Snape assured his daughter, "first-years will still be sorted into Slytherin on September the first, but they will be the only year in the house. Within several years, there will be again as many Slytherins as before, and theoretically, by that time the negative influences, which have been hitherto passed on, will be eradicated."

"This isn't just ridiculous, this isn't even practical, Daddy," said Anna, "what about the size of the classes? The dormitories? The bathrooms, for Merlin's sake?"

"It will be a bit crowded," admitted Snape, "but we'll manage."

Anna gulped as though swallowing a bitter pill that was stuck in her throat.

"So where will we all go?" she asked, "Will we have to go through the Sorting again?"

"No, we don't want to confuse the Sorting Hat," said Snape, "your subsequent Sorting will be determined by personal characteristics and the evaluation of your Head of House."

"Which means?" Anna stared at her father blankly.

"Which means you are going to be in Gryffindor."

Gryffindor. For a fleeting second, Anna tried to imagine her life as a Gryffindor. She will be with James, she reminded herself, cheering up a little, and her brother Septimus and his friends. But then she realized with horror she would also have to share a room with Molly Weasley, that insufferable bookworm...

"I've been a Slytherin for six years," said Anna, tears welling up in her eyes again, "this is going to be my final year in school, I was so looking forward to it, Daddy – studying for my N.E. with all my friends, playing Quidditch, and – it was supposed to be fun, and now it's all going to be ruined!"

"I regret this, Anna," said Severus Snape, "but there is really not much I can do. Perhaps at the end of this year, if the new arrangement doesn't go well, I can convince the governors that it's a foolish experiment, but right now..."

Anna thought about it some more. She felt it's going to be heartbreaking to be forcefully parted like that from the friends who have been her companions for six years now. Her friends...

"Where are Vinny and Gertie going?"

"Lavinia Malfoy and Gertrude Nott have been admitted to Ravenclaw," said her father.

"Well, then, I want to go to Ravenclaw too!" Anna said defiantly.

"You will be in Gryffindor," Snape replied wearily, but firmly, "some students from your house must go there, and frankly, Anna, you are one of the few Slytherins who won't cause an explosion among the lions."

That was something Anna could not deny. Lavinia in Gryffindor, now, that would have ended with a murder within an hour.

"What about my Head Girlship?" she asked, "Am I still going to get the badge?"

"Yes," said Snape, and Anna brightened just a little, "and I must emphasize that I expect you to live up to it. You don't want to be seen as the one who was made Head Girl just because she's the Headmaster's daughter."

Anna looked at her father and sighed.

"Well, Dad," she finally said, "I guess I should be happy you didn't think I would fit in with the Hufflepuffs."


	4. Chapter 4

Once Anna was on the rushing Hogwarts Express, she shut herself up in a compartment with Lavinia and Gertrude, and the three of them sat talking while the train sped on, carrying them towards their final year at school, which promised to be very different from what they had imagined.

"At least you two will be together," Anna said gloomily, "I will be all on my own in Gryffindor."

"Oh, but you'll be with your boyfriend," Gertrude retorted with an evil smile.

"Stop it, Gertie," chided Anna, "James Potter isn't my boyfriend, we're just childhood friends, we grew up together. But seriously, I will be sharing a room with girls I hardly know. This is just so unfair..."

Lavinia and Gertrude exchanged glances, and then Lavinia cleared her throat.

"There is something we must tell you, Anna. We got together with some people from our year the other day – you know, Avery, Macnair, Davenport, the usual gang. And we aren't planning to take this lying down."

"Really?" Anna leaned forward to listen better, "Do you have some sort of a plan?"

"Well, for now we are just determined not to forget that we are Slytherins," said Gertrude, "we thought of simply sabotaging the new regime, while supporting the Headmaster – we know your father was against this, Anna, but the governors threatened to procure a Ministry decree if he doesn't go along with them. But I don't think it will be enough."

"We haven't thought of anything definite yet," said Lavinia, "but together, I think we might be able to do something. We are meeting up on the Astronomy tower tomorrow night, at ten. I think we can count on you to be there, can't we, Anna?"

For a flicker of a second, Anna hesitated. The meeting sounded like a gathering of people who were determined to break school rules, and if they were caught, they would most certainly be punished for being out of bed after curfew. As Head Girl, she knew she was not supposed to participate in something like this. Her father would be furious if he found out. But Lavinia and Gertrude were looking at her expectantly, and Anna wasn't used to disappointing her friends.

"Of course I'll come," she said.

… It felt very strange and sad for Anna to walk past the green and silver banner, underneath which she had been eating, celebrating, talking to her friends, receiving owl post and exchanging news for the past six years, and instead proceed to sit at the scarlet-draped Gryffindor table. She spotted her brother Septimus with his best friend Albus Potter, and waved at the pair of them briefly, but the benches next to them were too full. Instead, she sat next to a group of chattering fifth-years she didn't know.

"Anna!"

It was James Potter; she beamed at him. It was a relief to see a friendly, thoroughly familiar face. James was smiling from ear to ear.

"Anna – I didn't catch up with you on the train, Sep told me you are going to be in Gryffindor this year – that's brilliant! I always thought you belonged here, you know..."

"Thanks, James," smiled Anna, deciding not to comment on his last remark. She didn't think she could be happier in another house than she had been in Slytherin.

James's eyes traveled eagerly over her face, taking in every feature. They had seen each other, of course, several times during the summer, but somehow every time he seemed to forget just how dazzlingly blue her eyes were, how her luxurious chestnut hair tumbled in silky waves down her shoulders.

If Anna Snape had always been a beautiful girl, now, at seventeen, she was a stunning young woman, surpassing even Dominique Weasley, the most widely acknowledged beauty of their year. She was tall and willowy, and walked with a graceful elegance that turned heads whenever she passed the school corridors.

"You have a leaf behind your ear, Anna," remarked James, striving to keep her attention to himself.

"What?" frowned Anna, "Oh, that. It's nothing, I'll have it removed in a jiffy," and she pulled a mirror out of her bag.

While other teenage girls got pimples when they were nervous or upset, Anna sometimes erupted in leaves or blossoms. Her mother told her not to worry – she was just the same. That was their dryad blood playing tricks.

The Sorting was painful to watch. The new Slytherin first-years made their way to the green table wearing expressions of deepest gloom. The house being now so small, it meant there will be no Slytherin Quidditch team this year, and their chances to win the House Cup would be virtually nil.

Professor Snape got up to his feet to make his usual start-of-term speech, and Anna perked up to listen. Her father spoke about the change in the inter-house dynamics, but of course everyone, from the staff members to the tiniest first-year, already knew that.

It was announced that the Hogwarts staff is welcoming a new addition to their number – Professor Eugene Collins, who will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. Anna scoffed. She knew Professor Moore, last year's teacher, would not last. Her father had not been able to find sufficiently competent Potions teachers since her fourth year, either.

When Professor Collins slid out of the shadows and waved at the students, Anna looked at him with disbelief. She didn't know what her father was playing at; did he want another drama such as happened with Professor Hawthorn, for whom her sister Fiona had fallen head over heels nearly three years earlier? Eugene Collins, though not as young as boyish Professor Hawthorn – Anna estimated he was nearing forty – was exceedingly handsome, with a pale face, dark hair and eyes. Anna noticed many of the girls were staring at him with great interest, and a gale of giggles and whispers broke out over the Great Hall.

When the feast was over, there was a loud scraping of benches. Anna got up with everyone else. With a jolt of sadness, she reminded herself that she won't be heading to the dungeon room which had become a second home to her in the past six years.

"I'll show you the way to the common room, Anna," volunteered James. And so they went, James leading the way and chattering happily, Anna nodding and replying from time to time. Their walk to Gryffindor tower took a surprisingly long time, considering that James wasn't only a seventh-year, but also one of the school's most promising mischief-makers, and knew all of the castle's secret shortcuts.

When Anna climbed up to the dormitory that was to host the seventh-year girls, she saw that her four-poster bed was crammed between the window and the bed next to it, which, as Anna noticed with dismay, belonged to Molly Weasley. Molly was already under the covers, wearing flannel pajamas and reading a thick textbook by the light of an oil lamp. Without exchanging a word with her neighbor, who shot her a look that was none too warm, Anna disappeared into the bathroom and reappeared a couple of minutes later, wearing loose silk pants and a matching top. Her hair was pulled into a loose bun at the base of her neck.

It was then that Anna saw something to lift her mood. On her bedside table, something gleamed silver. It was a badge bearing the Hogwarts crest, and on it were engraved the words, _"Anna Celena Snape, Head Girl"_.

A triumphant smile spread across Anna's face. Here, at least, she had got exactly what she wanted.


	5. Chapter 5

When Anna got up, it was rather late and the dormitory was already empty. An autumn sun shone brightly through the glass-paned windows, and Anna hurried to dress and go downstairs, not wanting to miss receiving her new timetable at breakfast.

On her way to the Fat Lady's portrait, she collided with another late sleeper, a tall boy with honey blonde hair. Anna knew him, of course, although they never talked much – it was Lennox McKinnon, the Gryffindor Quidditch captain for the past three years. Like Anna, he played Seeker, and up till now they had played against each other three times, out of which Anna got to the Snitch first twice.

"Sorry," Anna said, slightly breathless.

"Oh, hey," McKinnon looked at her with surprise, running a hand through his sleek hair. His eyes were grey mingled with green, very light. "You'll be in Gryffindor this year, then?"

"Yeah," nodded Anna, spotting at that moment that a silver badge, scrupulously polished, gleamed on his chest, a badge identical to her own. Lennox McKinnon noticed her badge as well and grinned broadly at her, showing very even, white teeth.

"Head Girl," he said, impressed, "well done! I expect this will pretty much guarantee Gryffindor winning the House Cup this year!"

Anna fought the urge to scowl.

"Actually, it's good that I ran into you so soon," she said, "Lennox, isn't it? I wanted to ask you, when are Quidditch tryouts?"

"This weekend," replied Lennox, looking slightly uncomfortable, "but I doubt you'll want to play Beater, and those are the only slots I have left open."

"Actually, I have been meaning to try out for Seeker," Anna said serenely, "you have seen me play, haven't you?"

Lennox looked slightly taken aback at this open declaration of her intention to try out for his place in the team, but he wasn't angry.

"Seen you?" he raised his eyebrows, "Two years ago, you were the only obstacle between us and the Quidditch Cup!"

"Well, then, you ought to let me try out," Anna insisted, "even if it means you won't play Seeker. As captain, you ought to care more about the team's chances for winning."

"Alright, then," grinned McKinnon, "Sunday, ten o'clock, and don't be late. But I'm warning you, Anna – the other people on the team won't hesitate to do their best to knock you off your broomstick."

"Don't worry," said Anna, smiling sweetly, "it will be amusing to see them try."

… Shortly after this discourse, Anna made her way towards her first Transfiguration class of her final year, ten minutes into which Professor Jones announced that she had gained ten points to Gryffindor for knowing all about the intricacies of Animagi. For a second, Anna had the instinctive urge to jump up and exclaim, "what do you mean, ten points to Gryffindor? I'm in Slytherin!" - but she remembered in time and stopped before making a fool of herself.

Unfortunately, the only space to sit was beside Molly Weasley, who kept making remarks about Anna's work in a huffy know-it-all voice. James was sitting behind her, next to his best friend Ronan Caldwell, and though Anna didn't know it, was staring wistfully at how the sun shone on her soft chestnut locks.

But despite the excitement of the first day of her last year in school, despite the many talks about the NEWT examinations they were to take in June, Anna's mind wandered all the way up to the Astronomy tower, where she would be meeting her friends that night.

At dinner, James skidded onto the bench next to her, nearly knocking over her plate of goulash in his excitement.

"McKinnon just told me you're going to try out for the Quidditch team!" he gushed, "That's brilliant, Anna, I hope you get in! I'm on the team too, you know – Beater. Good luck on Sunday! Be careful around McKinnon, though – he's bulky for a Seeker, but up in the air he's much more speedy than he looks."

"I've played against McKinnon before, James," said Anna, "and I know he's pretty good, but frankly, the one time he beat me, he couldn't have done it without help from the rest of the team. This time it will be only me against him."

After dinner, just as she was about to go up to the dormitory and pretend to go to bed early, she ran into Lennox McKinnon again.

"Can I have a word?" he asked.

"What, McKinnon?" Anna smiled mischievously, "going to ask me to take pity on you at tryouts?"

"No," he tried to sound cross, but grinned back despite himself – Anna Snape was too pretty to be cross with, and she knew it well. "It's just that as we're Head Boy and Girl, we are supposed to participate in the board of governors meetings. First session is next week, Monday night. Professor Lupin asked me to tell you."

"OK," said Anna.

"So, I'll wait for you after dinner and we'll go together?" asked McKinnon, more nonchalantly than he felt.

"Alright, then," nodded Anna, feigning indifference. She gave him a small wave and walked away, and with her back to him, she smiled.

At a quarter to ten Anna, who lay awake with her eyes open until then, got up, wrapped herself in her cloak and pulled the hood over her face, and crept silently downstairs and out of the portrait hole, unnoticed by the few students who still inhabited the common room at this late hour. Up many corridors and flights of stairs she went, until finally, panting, she reached the top of the Astronomy tower. She was rather proud of herself for avoiding Filch and getting there with no detours, but it was already two minutes past ten and she was clearly one of the last to arrive.

Nearly all her Slytherin friends were there – Lavinia Malfoy and Gertrude Nott, and Lavinia's brother Scorpius, and Macnair and Avery and Davenport, and other people whom Anna only knew by name, but with whom she ate and celebrated and shared the house trials and triumphs during six years. All faces were wearing the same expression of grim determination.

"Anna, you're here, good. We can start now," Lavinia said briskly.

Anna took a seat next to Gertrude on the stone steps where everyone else was sitting. Lavinia, who appeared to be sort of an organizer of the entire meeting, remained on her feet.

"I think all who have gathered here aren't forgetting that they are Slytherins," Lavinia started right off the bat, "whatever other house this hideous new decision of the governors plunged us into."

Everybody nodded; there was a general murmur of agreement.

"And I think it's also more than obvious," continued Lavinia, "that since the board of governors is so clearly and blatantly against the house of Slytherin, we should keep this meeting, and any other meetings that might follow, a complete secret."

"Seconded," barked Macnair, looking around as though challenging someone or other to disagree with him. Nobody did.

"We will henceforth refer to ourselves, then, as the Secret Slytherin Society, or the SSS," Lavinia went on more confidently, "anyone who has an objection to this name, raise your hand."

No hands rose into the air; people nodded approvingly.

"Our goals are as following," Lavinia carried on, "restore the house of Slytherin to its former state of power and influence. Get the Slytherin students back where they belong, in the house which is best suited to their capabilities, together with their friends. We realize it might take a long time," she added, "perhaps some of us will already leave school by the time we achieve something. But we won't give up."

"Do you have any ideas on how to do all this?" asked a curly-haired fifth-year girl.

"As a matter of fact, so far we thought of two venues," said Lavinia, "one, publicity. We plan to contact every prominent name out there who had been a Slytherin, especially those who were proud of it – such as Arthur Thornpyke, the singing sorcerer, or Blaise Zabini, who works in the Ministry. And we have my father, too," she added as an afterthought. "If all these influential people start bombarding the press and the school administration with letters telling how unfair they find this reform, it might help get things moving."

"Great idea," said Travers, impressed, "but I don't think, somehow, that it will be enough."

"I agree," said Lavinia, "to successfully work for our cause on another front, we need people to influence the board of governors from inside. To tell them – politely, of course – what a lousy move they made and how the whole school is suffering because of it."

"Yeah, we should do that, because they will surely listen to us," Avery said sarcastically.

"They might not listen to us," Lavinia countered coolly, "but they will have to put up with our new Head Girl," Lavinia gestured towards Anna. For the first time, Anna felt everybody's eyes on her, and it was distinctly uncomfortable.

"Well done, Anna, getting the badge!" said Gertrude, "I'll bet they thought having you as Head Girl will be convenient, because you are the Headmaster's daughter. But you won't conform, will you? You'll do what it takes to get Slytherin back together, won't you?"

"Yeah," said Anna with a rather reluctant smile, thinking of her father. "Sure."


	6. Chapter 6

On Sunday morning, Anna made her way to the Quidditch pitch, broomstick in hand. She walked confidently, a smile on her lips indicating a feeling of superiority that was not quite genuine.

"Ready?" asked Lennox McKinnon, who was already waiting for her there. "Let's get this out of the way first, before I start trying the others."

McKinnon opened the crate containing the four Quidditch balls and released the Snitch into the air. Mere seconds later, he and Anna were speeding off in search of the tiny golden ball. It was over pretty soon. McKinnon was good, but Anna was a blur on her broomstick, and it only took her five minutes to catch the fluttering Snitch in her outstretched hand.

"Well done!" said McKinnon. His annoyance about being beaten on the Quidditch pitch combated his enthusiasm as a captain who just found a fabulous player for his team.

"Am I Seeker, then?" Anna asked, smiling sweetly, and knowing what the answer will be.

"Better get my Keeper's gloves aired out, then," growled McKinnon.

… "Well, it looks like your chances are much better this year," Rose said to James that evening in the common room.

"What do you mean?" frowned James Potter. The cousins had always been close, despite the three-year gap between them, which is a lot until one reaches a certain age.

"The Quidditch cup," said Rose, "with Anna on the team, and Lennox as Keeper – which suits him much better than Seeking, in my opinion – and you and Caldwell as Beaters, and Lily and Bates and Logan as Chasers, the odds are pretty much in Gryffindor's favor, aren't they?"

"Yes," said James, while his thoughts strayed in an entirely different direction.

_Are_ his chances better now that Anna is in Gryffindor? He had been trying to get Anna to notice him for years; this was their final year at school, it was now or never, and he knew it. He was determined to do his best. He was good-looking, popular, and there were always enough girls who were pining for him.

His problem with Anna, he felt, was precisely that she knew him too well. After a lifetime of friendship, of visiting in each other's house, of spending summers and holidays together, after she witnessed his pimples come and go, it was difficult for Anna to see him in a romantic light. Yet to make her see him in such a way was precisely his purpose, and he was not going to give up now.

On Sunday evening, Lavinia caught up with Anna after dinner.

"Listen," she said in an urgent whisper, "I know there's going to be a meeting of the board of governors tomorrow night, and you and McKinnon are going to be there. I'm counting on you to promote our cause, Anna. Tell them how horrible you feel, torn apart from the rest of Slytherin where you belong, from your friends, how you are a misfit in Gryffindor and so on."

"Right," nodded Anna.

"And don't forget to mention how unfair you find this whole arrangement," added Lavinia.

"I won't forget, Vinny," said Anna rather guiltily, perhaps because deep down she didn't feel such a terrible misfit in Gryffindor after all.

She wanted to proceed to the common room and get started on the week's homework, which she had not been able to finish on Saturday. But Lennox, who seemed to materialize out of nowhere, was suddenly standing in front of her.

"No point going up," he said, "the meeting starts in ten minutes, it's right here, in the little conference room just off the Great Hall."

Anna let McKinnon lead her towards the conference room. Although the meeting was not yet due to start, all twelve governors were already there, including Draco and Hermione; Anna's father and Professor Lupin, her great uncle, were there as well, and so was Professor Collins, the new Potions teacher who had already given the seventh-years his first, highly impressive lesson which instantly caused Anna to stop wondering why her father took him on.

"I see Miss Snape and Mr. McKinnon are here, good," said Mr. Spencer, the head of the board of governors, "now our Head Boy and Girl are here, we can start – if you please, Professor Snape."

Anna saw her father give Spencer only a brief, silent nod, and her heart surged with pride for her father, who wouldn't let Spencer boss him around. She knew Spencer was largely responsible for the change that was making her life so difficult.

"Let's hear about what has been going on since the start of term," Spencer smoothly carried on, "Professor Lupin, what is your impression when it comes to the mood among the students? How do they feel about the reform?"

"Well, I cannot deny I have noticed the mutiny coming from the Slytherin students," said Lupin, "especially a certain core of students from old, pure-blood families: Malfoy, Nott, Avery… but as there has been no open rebellion so far, and the students I mentioned earlier are mostly leaving at the end of this year, there should be no serious trouble during the adjustment period."

Spencer nodded, satisfied.

"And you, Professor Collins? As a new teacher, what do you have to say about the level of discipline, organization and inter-house dynamics at Hogwarts?"

"I am perfectly satisfied on all these points," said Professor Collins, imperiously inclining his head. Then he, surprisingly for Anna, addressed her:

"Miss Snape, as one of the Slytherin students currently undergoing the transition, what have you to say?"

"Erm," Anna cleared her throat. This was her chance to represent the Slytherins – just what Lavinia, Gertrude, Travers and the others were counting on. "I – I don't think you realize, Mr. Spencer, just what the Slytherin students are going through right now. It's like being torn away from our home. We feel like outcasts in the other houses, we don't really belong there."

"But you have a brother in Gryffindor, don't you, Miss Snape?" asked Spencer, tilting his head slightly.

"Yes, and I have Gryffindor friends too," said Anna, "but…"

"Most interesting, most interesting indeed," nodded Spencer. Anna wanted to add something, but she noticed her father's look of cold warning and fell silent.

"I think it would be foolish to deceive ourselves and think that lack of open protest means that the Slytherin students have resigned themselves to the change," said Professor Snape. "Remember, Spencer, I have been Head of Slytherin for many years, up until three years ago when I became Headmaster. I taught the parents of the students you mentioned," he nodded towards Draco Malfoy, "and I know their attitudes perhaps better than anyone else. If you truly want to keep this up, we will have to keep close watch on the Slytherin leaders at all times."

"As for that, I think we can count on our new Head Boy and Girl, can't we?" said Spencer, looking fondly at Lennox and Anna. Lennox puffed his chest proudly.

"Yes, sir," he said pompously, "you can trust me to report anything unusual or suspicious. If I come across but a whiff of rebellion, I'll go straight to Professor Snape."

"And so will you, Miss Snape, won't you?" Spencer stared pointedly at Anna, who gave a tiny nod.

"Y-yes, sir. I will, sir."

So this is how people become double-crossing spies, she thought. And then, Mr. Malfoy spoke up:

"The transitional period might be difficult, but I believe it's better for everyone involved, in particular my daughter Lavinia. Personally, as someone who had been a Slytherin himself, I account this for many foolish acts I committed in my youth. There is nothing like bad company to make each boy and girl's negative traits tenfold worse."

Anna listened to Mr. Malfoy, hardly believing her ears. It appeared that Lavinia had miscalculated. She could hardly count on her father to support the SSS.

It was late when Anna returned to Gryffindor tower. Since the common room was starting to get chilly, she went up to the girls' dormitory, climbed into her warm bed, and pulled out her Ancient Runes homework – doing one's homework in bed was extremely geeky, Anna thought; an indecent behavior worthy only of Molly Weasley. But there was no choice – she had to hand in that essay tomorrow, and so she plunged in, scratching away with her quill.

"You've translated that rune wrong," Molly Weasley called out from the bed next to Anna's. Anna promptly hitched her homework away from Molly's sight.

"You must have misread my handwriting," she said coldly. She didn't appreciate being told she was wrong at Rune translation – after all, she was the best in her house, and got an "Outstanding" OWL in her fifth year.

"No, I didn't," insisted Molly Weasley, "I'm absolutely sure. You can borrow my Rune Dictionary if you want to check for yourself," she indicated towards the thick book on her bedside table.

"No, thank you," Anna said pointedly and continued to scribble away, scowling.

"Suit yourself," Molly shrugged, "I was only trying to help."

… Only Professors Snape and Collins remained in the conference room after the governors were gone, ushered out by Professor Lupin.

"I would like to thank you again for appointing me, Professor Snape," said Professor Collins, "it was a risk you took, allowing me to teach at Hogwarts."

"Not at all," countered Snape, "you have lived as Eugene Collins for the past twenty years. Nobody ever needs to know you were once called Anton Black."


	7. Chapter 7

In the Malfoy's London apartment, Narcissa came and went, tears pouring down her pale face. She brought with her the news of Lucius Malfoy's death in a cell in Azkaban.

Draco sat with his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs. Hermione was beside him, not knowing what to say. When he finally managed to pull himself together and look at his wife, his face was glazed with tears.

"I'm… sorry," he gasped, "sorry for breaking down like this."

"He was your father," said Hermione, and was silent. She caressed his sleek blonde hair gently, and Draco pressed his forehead against her palm.

"What a wasted life," he mumbled, "a lifetime of arrogant pride for being a rich pure-blood, and a pitiful death in Azkaban."

"Draco," Hermione said tentatively, "when – when you think about your father… have you ever felt sorry for… for –"

"For putting him in Azkaban?" Draco asked bluntly, "No. He had to pay for what he did. Ensuring that made me feel that at least some small part of my life had not been in vain."

"How can you talk like that," Hermione exclaimed indignantly, "after all you have done?"

"I did what I could," Draco said, tormented, "but is it enough?"

"Less than enough would not have allowed me to marry you," Hermione said very solemnly, pressing his hand.

… When there was a week to go before the next Hogsmeade weekend, James caught sight of Anna standing before the notice board.

"Hogsmeade next week," he remarked.

"Yeah," said Anna, "it'll be nice for a change, don't you think? Are you going, or will you and Ronan be staying behind for some extra Quidditch practice?"

James, afraid to mess up in front of Anna in the upcoming match against Hufflepuff, has been cramming Quidditch practice session whenever his schedule, already overwhelmingly busy with school work, permitted. James was becoming such a good Beater that last time they practiced in a pair, Ronan protested and said he didn't sign up to being hit by Bludgers during eighty percent of his final year at school.

"I think I'll go," said James, "though McKinnon won't be too happy about it, I think he planned to gather me and Ronan and go through some Beater tactics with us."

"Ah, Lennox isn't going, then?" said Anna, trying to sound different and hide her disappointment.

"Nope," said James, twitching his left foot slightly, "so… er – d'you – do you think you'll be up to a drink in The Three Broomsticks sometime around midday?"

"Thanks, James, but I don't think so," Anna shook her head, "I'll be going with Vinny and Gertie, we have hardly seen each other since the beginning of term, with this stup – I mean, the new regulations."

James frowned. He never understood what Anna found in Lavinia Malfoy and Gertrude Nott.

… "And I don't think we really have that much influence on the board of governors, Vinny, they only intend to use us as pawns," Anna told when she, Lavinia and Gertrude walked on to the outskirts of Hogsmeade under pretext of visiting the Shrieking Shack.

"But you don't plan to let them, do you?" Lavinia asked sharply, "You are committed to returning the house of Slytherin back to its rightful position?"

"Yes, yes, of course I am," Anna said hastily, "I'm just telling you this so you know there's not much chance of influencing the board of governors from within. Oh, and Vinny, if you thought your Dad would back you up, you'll be disappointed," and she told Lavinia all about what Mr. Malfoy said during the board's meeting. Lavinia's reaction was not quite what Anna predicted.

"That horrible woman!" she said fiercely, "I'll bet she's poisoning Dad with these ridiculous ideas!"

"I don't think Hermione has anything to do with it," Anna shook her head, but as always, Lavinia would listen to no defense of her father's new wife.

"Now, it's very difficult for us all to get together, with everyone having classes and Quidditch and all sorts of clubs and meetings at different times," she said, "so I'm filling everyone in one by one. Gertie, show Anna what we've done."

Gertrude pulled a very long piece of parchment out of her robes. It was a list of names, most of which were familiar to Anna. She spotted most of the Slytherin surnames, and some names of well-known wizards, like Blaise Zabini, Arthur Thornpyke and Evan Macallister, the Head of International Magical Co-operation.

"We've sent all these people letters," said Lavinia, "pleading our cause. We especially tried to come up with names of people who fondly remember their years in Slytherin. With any luck, the school administration will be soon bombarded with owls from bigwigs supporting Slytherin."

"You do realize that 'school administration' largely means my Dad and my great-uncle Remus, don't you?" asked Anna.

"Yes," said Lavinia, "but if it reaches the Headmaster, it will reach the board of governors. And that is just our first step. Next, we are going to the press. And here is where you come into the picture."

"What do you want me to do?" asked Anna with a feeling of foreboding.

"We need you to give an interview," said Lavinia, "to _The Pureblood Visionary_."

Anna looked up at Lavinia with horror. The Pureblood Visionary was a radical wizarding newspaper, only distributed in certain circles of the magical society, and she couldn't say she sympathized with all it claimed to convey.

"Why me?" asked Anna, "And why that paper?"

"The Visionary is the only newspaper that has got some backbone," said Lavinia, "not like those Muggle-lovers at the Prophet. And you, of course, are the ideal person to tell about how negatively the reform has affected the students. I mean, you are the Headmaster's daughter, you're Head Girl – if you aren't happy with the new regime, then who is?"

Anna felt deeply uneasy about this. Not only did she realize she would be in deep trouble if her parents found out about this, but she didn't quite agree with most of what was written in The Pureblood Visionary, such as the idea that Muggle-borns ought to be educated separately from people of magical descent. Now that she took her classes with the Gryffindors, Anna saw Muggle-borns cleverer than herself – and even, Anna grudgingly had to admit, Molly Weasley.

"So you'll do it, won't you, Anna?" pressed Lavinia.

Anna suppressed a sigh. The only thing that comforted her was that her parents never read The Pureblood Visionary.

"Alright, then," she said.

"Excellent," Lavinia said briskly, "I'll let you know when I schedule the interview."


	8. Chapter 8

Days passed by, and to Anna's relief, so far she had not received any notice from Lavinia regarding the upcoming interview, which she was very uncertain she really wanted to do. Overall, it appeared that the Secret Slytherin Society kept their profile low. Therefore, Anna was surprised and slightly alarmed to receive a summons to her father's office on Wednesday night. The note was given to her by Al Potter, who shrugged when Anna asked him whether he knew what it was about.

"Why only you?" asked Lennox McKinnon, to whom Anna was talking about Quidditch practice when Al came over to them, "why not both of us?"

"Might be something personal," suggested Anna, "I'm not just Head Girl, you know. I happen to be the Headmaster's daughter," she added archly.

"Right," said Lennox, "and here I was, thinking of scheduling Quidditch practice for Wednesday."

"I think we'll be able to cram it in," said Anna, scanning the note, "Daddy doesn't want me to be in his office until eight, we can be done by then, don't you think?"

"OK, then," said Lennox, brightening up.

He didn't hold a grudge against Anna for occupying his desired place as a Seeker on the house Quidditch team. On the contrary, he became more and more approving of Anna with every practice session, confident in an upcoming victory against Hufflepuff. Part of this, of course, was due to Anna's personal charms. He couldn't help noticing it while he spent many hours with Anna each day, not only during classes and Quidditch training, but also while they both were doing their Head Boy and Girl duties.

Anna, too, was taking more and more to Lennox McKinnon. Tall, handsome, popular, Head Boy, Quidditch captain – he was, of course, every Hogwarts girl's object of desire. In fact, it was by now widely speculated that it's only a matter of time until Anna Snape and Lennox McKinnon start going out together. Anna could not quite pretend she frowned upon such rumors. The only one who wasn't too pleased with this prospect was, naturally, James, who was forced to keep his silence.

… Anna entered the Headmaster's office with a slight feeling of foreboding, but she put on her most convincing expression of cheerful innocence, and when Professor Snape looked up at her from the paper he was reading, Anna smiled and sat down.

"Hi, Daddy," she said, "did you want to see me?"

"Yes," said Snape, "your mother and I got an owl this morning. Your sister is going to be married to Jeremy Hawthorn."

Anna gave a squeal of delight and jumped up from her chair, clapping her hands.

"Oh, Daddy, how wonderful! When?"

"In May," Severus replied, "your mother is already going full steam ahead with the preparations. We're having the reception in our house, though I told your mother it might be too crowded if all the guests she plans on inviting show up."

"If Fiona and Jeremy wait until June, they could have the wedding right here at Hogwarts," suggested Anna, "and then it won't be a problem."

"I said as much," replied Snape, "but they don't want to wait, they want to be married the moment they get back from their ridiculous expedition with Rolf and Luna. Looking for the Blibbering Dung-digger or something of the sort…"

Snape let out a derisive snort, but inwardly, he was nothing short of thrilled that this romance, which started so scandalously, was coming to a happy and respectable end. He had always liked Jeremy Hawthorn, but naturally, could not quite approve at the time of a connection between his sixteen-year-old daughter and her Potions teacher.

"Daddy," Anna interrupted his chain of thoughts, "did Fiona write anything about who are going to be her bridesmaids?"

"You, of course," said her father. Anna gave another loud squeal of girlish delight. "And Hawthorn's younger sister, Marielle."

"I suppose I will have to write to this sister of Jeremy," said Anna, "so we can coordinate our dresses. If she has dark hair, perhaps I can convince her to go for shocking pink, it would look so striking, don't you think… yes, Daddy?"

Snape cleared his throat loudly.

"Fiona's upcoming wedding is not the only reason I specifically asked for you to come here. I have something to show you that is of far greater concern."

Snape pulled open a drawer of his desk and started taking envelopes out of it. There were dozens upon dozens, and he piled them upon his desk until they nearly covered its surface.

"What is this, Daddy?" Anna asked with, she hoped, a convincingly innocent and curious expression, even though she already knew what it was all about.

"Letters," said Snape, "mostly from my former students. Also from Ministry officials, Quidditch players, influential businessmen, even a singer or two. There, listen," he pulled out one letter with a flourish and read, "_Professor Snape, I want you to know that I see you as the only rightful authority at Hogwarts._ And here's another one _– we hope you will soon be able to shake off the ridiculous demands of the board of governors and re-instate the house of Slytherin to its natural rights; If you are ever in need of a voice in the Ministry, you can count on your respectful student, Richard Belmount, a proud Slytherin who is deeply saddened by this tearing down of our noble house…"_

"Well, you sure can't say you are unpopular, Daddy," Anna said cheerfully. Her father looked back at her with an expression Anna had long ago learned to associate with immediate danger.

"Even having my own fan club won't help me if the governors are after my blood," he hissed, "people are trying to undermine the reform, and however pointless I might personally find the said reform, it is my duty as Headmaster of this school to target those who are behind this rebellious campaign."

Anna looked straight at him, youthful innocence radiating from those sapphire eyes he was never able to resist, and hoped she is successful in keeping her face blank.

"It's more than obvious to me that there is a group of Slytherin students who have decided to start a guerilla war," continued Snape, "and I only hope for your sake, Anna, that you have nothing to do with it, or you will risk losing your position as Head Girl."

"Of course, Daddy," nodded Anna, feigning calm.

"We do need to show morale is high, however," said Snape, "we need something to take students' minds off mutiny against the reform."

"Sure, Daddy. What did you have in mind?"

"Do you think I'm good at figuring out how to capture the fancy of a couple hundreds of teenagers?"asked Snape, annoyed, "why don't you tell me what _you_ have in mind, Anna?"

"Well," Anna said slowly, "if you want to keep everyone happy and occupied, why don't you declare there's going to be a ball on Christmas Eve, Daddy? A real Yule ball, instead of the usual lame dinner for the three nerds who are staying behind to cram in as much revision as possible? That'll keep everybody's minds busy, girls will all have their dress robes fitted or order new ones, and boys will be figuring out how to ask the best-looking girls to go to the ball with them. People will have far less time for secret plans and whatever nonsense they might be up to."

She hoped she sounded convincing. Snape contemplated the idea for a few seconds. Then he gave a curt nod.

"Very well," he said, "of course, I cannot be bothered overseeing the details of this affair. I count on you and McKinnon to do that. Don't worry about the budget, I want this to be the best ball in the history of Hogwarts."

Anna sprang to her feet, thoroughly excited by the prospect of having to buy two new sets of dress robes – and also, she had to admit, by the thought of putting the Secret Slytherin Society on hold. 


	9. Chapter 9

Draco Malfoy staggered into the kitchen, groggy, puffy-eyed and still very sleepy. Hermione was already reading _The Daily Prophet _by the small table. She looked alert despite the early hour. She smiled at him. She liked his morning look best – while he still hung around tousle-haired, wearing baggy pants and flip-flops. Imperfection suited him, she often said tongue-in-cheek.

"M-morning," yawned Draco, "anything interesting in the paper?"

"Actually, yes," said Hermione, "there was an attempted break into the Ministry."

Draco's eyes slid into focus as he grabbed a chair and pulled it closer to the kitchen table.

"Really?" he asked, yanked forcefully out of sleepiness. "That's very strange."

Hermione's eyes met his. "That's what I thought," she said, "I mean, what could they have been after, whoever they were? It has been a long time since something of remote importance was left for safeguarding at the Ministry. All is kept in Gringotts now."

"Perhaps it's something that's still being worked on," suggested Draco, "an object under an experimental charm or something."

"Yes," Hermione said softly, "maybe…"

At that precise moment, the doorbell rang, and Draco and Hermione looked at each other, surprised. Who could it be at this hour?

The surprise, it turned out, was far from pleasant – Draco observed the slim figure of Astoria Greengrass through the eyehole. Fortunately for herself, Hermione had a valid excuse to disappear from the scene, as baby Emmeline just woke up. She hurried to her daughter's room, leaving Draco alone with his ex-wife. His old bathrobe made quite a contrast with her sharp and elegant attire.

Astoria surveyed the tiny kitchen with an unpleasant smirk on her face.

"My, this place is hardly roomier than our broom cupboard," she remarked, "does paying alimony leave you unable to afford a decent house, Draco?"

"I think the meanings we put into the word _decent_ vary dramatically, Astoria," he retorted.

"What does Narcissa say, I wonder, seeing her son in this miserable shack?" Astoria would not relinquish the pleasure of taunting him so easily.

"You didn't come here to comment on my housing conditions, did you?" snarled Draco, "spill the beans and get the hell out of here, Astoria."

"Fine," she said smoothly, "I came to ask you why you aren't doing your best to help our daughter, who is putting heroic effort against the disgrace that is going on at Hogwarts."

"Lavinia, putting heroic effort?" frowned Draco, "Don't tell me she is involved in that ridiculous Slytherin-defending campaign."

"Lavinia is defending her right to study in an environment free of Mudbloods and filth," Astoria said proudly.

Color flooded Draco's pale cheeks, and part of his anger was due to remembering how once the word "Mudblood" had slipped from his lips with the same careless ease Astoria used now.

"I will write to Lavinia and admonish her to stop this nonsense," he said coldly, "I will also send an owl to Professor Snape and ask him to keep an eye on her."

Astoria's eyes flashed angrily. "Blood traitor!" she spat at him.

"You cannot offend me by pointing out the best of me," said Draco, "and you will no longer intrude upon our privacy. Get out, Astoria."

Once Astoria was gone, Hermione re-emerged, carrying a cooing Emmeline.

"What did Astoria want?" she asked.

"The past," said Draco Malfoy, with a look of intense suffering, clutching his left forearm, "how I wish some things could be undone."

… Being given a party to plan together with Lennox put fresh spirit into Anna. In a flurry of excitement, the two of them sat in the common room, going over various essentials that would be needed for the ball.

"We will need gallons upon gallons of drinks," said Anna, "Butterbeer and mead and Gillywater, and a live band for the music, too… I do hope Daddy will agree to book the Weird Sisters, even though it will be pricey."

"What about printing invitations?" asked Lennox, "And what do you think of an age restrictions?"

Eventually, after lengthy discussions, they decided that anybody below fourth year will not be allowed to participate unless they get an invitation from an older student.

… "Which is the only reason I asked Lily, Al," explained Septimus for the fifteenth time that afternoon, "otherwise, how would she be able to go? _You_ wouldn't take her, would you?"

"I don't think I'll be taking anyone at all," said Al Potter, "I mean, I think Rose and I might be going together, but we're cousins, you know."

It soon seemed that all over Hogwarts, people talking of nothing but the upcoming ball. Girls were contemplating dress and hair styles and talking about who asked whom to the ball, while boys were trying to figure out how to get the girls on their own to ask them out.

"I heard Davenport asked you to go to the ball with him, Vinny," said Anna.

"Yes," Lavinia replied sourly.

"Well, why the long face, then? Perhaps he's not the one with whom you'd want to go most of all, but it's better than going alone. No one asked me at all yet, and you can see I'm perfectly cheerful."

"The only reason no one asked you yet, Anna, is because the whole school is sure you're going with McKinnon."

Anna blushed faintly.

"So anyway, what's up? Why do you look so ruffled?"

"My father sent me an owl and told me that under no circumstances I am to participate in any movement, society or club that aims to disrupt the new regime at Hogwarts," Lavinia said acidly, "of course, these days I wouldn't expect any better of him, but the question is, how does he know?"

"Daddy got a bunch of letters from people supporting Slytherin," said Anna, "it wasn't that hard to figure our someone must be behind it, and once he did, it's pretty obvious you are one of the people most likely to be involved, Vinny."

"Well," said Lavinia, "if that is the case, you must prepare to be targeted too, Anna. Your interview with The Pureblood Visionary is scheduled for the week after the ball."

… Anna received an invitation to the ball soon enough, but not from the one she expected. James, having spotted her linger behind after Herbology, finally plucked up the courage and asked her whether she would like to go with him. He hated himself for going crimson red at that moment.

"So… what do you say, Anna?" he asked, "I mean – we can go as friends, if you – if –"

Anna looked distinctly uncomfortable.

"I'm terribly sorry, James," she said apologetically, "but I'm – I'm going with Lennox."

"Oh… right," said James, deflating.

It wasn't really a lie, Anna told herself later defensively. She was one of the most good-looking and popular girls at school – she wasn't being conceited, it was a fact. And lately, she and Lennox have been getting on really well… he was surely going to ask her to the ball – wasn't he?


	10. Chapter 10

"Time turners!" said Hermione, astonished, "Why, of all the valuable objects in the Ministry, did they steal the ones anyone can apply for?"

"Not exactly anyone," corrected Draco, "there are people who know they will never get an authorization for a time turner."

"I don't like the sound of it," frowned Hermione, "it's fishy, and I can't even begin to figure it out. But perhaps I'm making more of it than it is, Draco. It's just that I can't help thinking anything is worth investigating, after – after –" her voice faltered.

"After Ron," finished Draco, "yes, it's unnerving to know some of the Dark wizard movements are still at large. There is no lack of people who think the wizarding society would have been better off with the Dark Lord in charge."

"One thing sets my mind at ease – Harry is responsible for investigating this," said Hermione, "there is no one better to do this, and also… we'll be the first to know if anything comes up."

… "Pay attention, boys!" called out Professor Longbottom as he spotted the Venomous Tentacula nearly snapping at James' wrist. "You aren't making any progess – I don't want to be forced to take points off Gryffindor!"

"Alright, sir!" Ronan called back, and then turned to James and asked in a low voice, "why so gloomy, mate?"

James merely grunted.

"Didn't catch that, sorry."

"Anna is going to the ball with Lennox McKinnon," James finally admitted.

"Ah," said Ronan, comprehension dawning upon his face, "I heard him bragging about it the other day."

James shrugged. He was in a very bad temper ever since Anna's refusal – but it was so obvious it was going to happen, he thought to himself dejectedly. Everyone predicted this since the start of term. Anna and Lennox, the perfect pair, good-looking, popular, Head Boy and Girl, playing side by side on the same Quidditch team… of course they are going to open the dancing at the ball, and also star together at the end-of-term feast.

And that will be the end of his, James's, prospects to ever have the slightest chance with Anna Snape.

"Great," he said bitterly, "really great. Perhaps I ought to try and override Al and ask Rose to go with me. Unless you want to ask her, of course," he added, grinning evilly at his best friend.

"I'm taking Dominique," Ronan said casually.

James' jaw dropped.

"Dominique?" he said in awe, "My cousin? No kidding! How did you get one of the best-looking girls in the year?"

"I heard Rose saying that Dominique is counting on me to ask her, so I put out a rumor I'm actually going to ask Clarissa Turner," said Ronan, "so when I asked Dominique, she hurried to accept, because she thought I might not ask her again. Funny how girls' minds work, huh?"

James grunted again.

"Anyway, James," Ronan continued briskly, "if open tactics don't work, it's time to become more sophisticated."

"What do you mean?" James asked suspiciously.

"Amortentia," said Ronan, with the air of offering a great treat.

James shot him an indignant look. "If you really think I'd stop that low –"

"Not for Anna, you prat," Ronan countered almost lazily, "for McKinnon."

… "No way," said Rose Weasley as she heard their plan, "_no way_, Ronan. You two might do your best to try and get yourselves expelled midway through your final year, but why would I ever want to go along with something like this?"

"Because you've always wanted me to get a chance with Anna," James reminded her.

"Yes, but…"

"And because we don't want any unnecessary victims," added Ronan, "we don't have anything personal against McKinnon, and don't want him to make a fool of himself by declaring his undying love to someone like, say, your cousin Molly."

"Molly is really nice, Ronan, whatever you might –" Rose started angrily, but Ronan cut across her:

"And we don't want a poor girl like Molly to get her hopes up, only to be disappointed as soon as the potion's effects wear off."

Rose hesitated, and Ronan pressed his advantage:

"Make sure you wear your best to the ball and fix your hair nicely. Merlin knows there are going to be enough raised eyebrows when people see how McKinnon ditches Anna to go after you."

"Keep on insulting me and you'll have to find someone else to help you!" hissed Rose, aiming her History of Magic book at Ronan, who ducked, laughing.

… The season was highly exciting for Celena and Fleur, who spent much time together, going in raptures over bridal magazines.

"Ah, that's almost incredible, Fiona as a bride!" exclaimed Fleur one afternoon, after they had discussed for the seventeenth time what flower arrangements are most fitting for a May wedding. "I cannot wait until Victoire and Teddy finally decide to get married, eet will be so much fun, planning eet all. Is Fiona at least coming 'ome for Chreestmas, so you can discuss ze details?"

"Yes," said Celena, "it will be pretty much the only chance for us to get together before the wedding. I'll be taking Fiona to Diagon Alley sometime during the holidays, to choose the design for her wedding dress. She said in her last letter that she wants something really simple, but all the same, it must be decided on, not to mention fitted. I just hope I can convince her to grow out her hair a bit for the wedding, she always cuts it so brutally short."

"And zen zere is zis delightful ball!" Fleur said enthusiastically, "Thank you for inviting us, Celena, eet will be just like old times – like ze year we spent at Hogwarts during ze Triwizard Tournament, do you remember?"

… "We will have a very special guest for Christmas," Celena announced to her husband, beaming.

"Do you mean Jeremy Hawthorn?" Severus asked cautiously.

"No, sweetheart; well, of course Jeremy and Fiona are coming, and it _is_ special because we haven't seen them for such a long time – but what I meant it, Viktor is arriving in Britain, I got an owl from him two days ago and wrote back and invited him to the Yule ball. It's fine with you, isn't it, Severus?"

Snape stifled his annoyance. Over the years, he learned to accept and even appreciate Celena's close connection with her family. He developed a tolerable relationship with Remus Lupin, overriding the grudges of their school days. He even learned to get along with Fleur. But he never understood why his wife maintains a friendship with Viktor Krum, whom he always found a stupid bore with noting on his mind but Quidditch. At over forty, Krum's days as a Seeker were over, but he continued making the Galleons roll by training Bulgaria's team. He went back to Bulgaria a couple of years after marrying his British wife, Melissa Hanson.


	11. Chapter 11

On the morning of the Yule ball, Anna woke up giddy. She spent most of the day in front of the mirror, artfully arranging and curling her hair and eyelashes around her wand, dressing and putting on make-up. Meanwhile, Molly Weasley made an early start on the homework they got for the holidays and seemed to be wholly immersed in it, and only from time to time shot Anna a disapproving look.

Anna knew what a splendid sight she presented as she walked downstairs at eight o'clock in the evening, wearing dress robes of turquoise silk richly embroidered with gold, and matching gold high-heeled shoes. Her wavy hair was carefully lifted and twisted, and light makeup accentuated the youthful beauty of her face. She readily accepted the admiring glance of Lennox McKinnon, who offered her his arm in a most gallant fashion as she glided towards him.

"You look wonderful," he said, "shall we go?"

They made their way downstairs to the Great Hall, where hundreds of students were milling around, unusually colorful in their dress robes, waiting for the excitement to begin. The air was bubbling with conversation and laughter.

Not far away, Anna spotted her parents standing with Fleur and Bill Weasley, and gave a small wave at her mother's approving nod. She also noticed her brother Septimus talking to Lily Potter, who was clearly overwhelmed by her good luck of being taken to the ball.

"Open the dancing, won't you?" said Severus when Anna and Lennox approached him and Mrs. Snape.

"No, _you_ must open the dancing, Daddy," Anna said brightly.

"I don't dance," Severus said stiffly.

"Of course you do, dear," Celena smiled, a mischievous gleam in her eye, "don't you remember how you astonished me with your dancing one Christmas Eve before we were married?"

To this, Severus had nothing to say, and they opened the dancing. Anna and Lennox followed. Soon, the dance floor began to fill. Viktor Krum offered his hand to Fleur, Bill danced with Remus Lupin's wife Dora, and Professor Collins sought the favor of Hestia Jones. Septimus danced rather awkwardly with Lily Potter, and Rose was doing a merry two-step right in the middle of the dance floor with a boy from her year Anna didn't know.

When the song ended, Anna spotted several of her Slytherin friends, including Lavinia and Gertrude, and with an ominous feeling she noticed they were grouped around Molly Weasley, who was very red in the face.

"Wait just a moment, Lennox, I'll be right back," she said, not taking her eyes off the group.

"I'll go get us some Butterbeers," he offered, and edged through the crowd in the direction of the buffet.

Sure enough, when Anna approached her friends, Molly has already been reduced to tears, which were flowing from under her thick eyeglasses.

"Where did you buy this rag, Weasley?" Lavinia grinned maliciously, "I didn't even know there are places that sell something this ugly."

"She must have stolen it from someone's broom cupboard, it looks like a cleaning robe more than anything else," scoffed Gertrude Nott. The other Slytherins around them guffawed sycophantically, and Molly Weasley, mortified, unable to say a word, looked extremely pitiful in her long-sleeved, high-collared and admittedly ridiculous-looking maroon dress robes.

"Stop it!" shouted Anna, breaking into the semicircle of Slytherins, "stop it!"

Lavinia and Gertrude turned to look at her, astonished. Molly hid her face in her hands and ran as fast as she could towards the girls' bathrooms.

"What's the matter with you, Anna?" snapped Lavinia, "We were just having some fun."

"It's not her fault she has no money and has to buy her clothes second-hand," said Anna, her chest heaving as though she'd just run a mile. "There is no shame in being poor!"

"Oh, it's not that she's poor," Lavinia dismissed off-handedly, "though her shabby shoes look, I must say, rather pitiful. But she's an insufferable nerd, and she can't even figure out that if she has red hair, she shouldn't wear maroon."

"Just leave her alone, will you?" Anna was even more furious, and felt tears stinging her eyes. She had, of course, seen Lavinia Malfoy tease and taunt people many a time during her school yeards, and she had always felt uncomfortable about it; but somehow, she must have forgotten just how cruel Lavinia could be.

"But of course, you share a dormitory with Weasley now, don't you, Anna?" Lavinia's eyes narrowed, "Made friends with her, have you?"

"No," said Anna calmly, "I just can't believe you would stoop that low, Vinny."

"And I can't believe you are getting so fussed up about a bit of recreation," retorted Lavinia.

"If that is your idea of recreation, it is evil!" Anna shot at her, turned dramatically on the spot, and stormed away.

… While Anna was discoursing with Lavinia, Ronan Caldwell nudged Lennox McKinnon slightly in the ribs.

"Psst," he called, "got a moment, Lennox?"

"Yeah, I'm just waiting for Anna," said McKinnon, "what's up, Ronan?"

"D'you want some firewhisky?" Ronan asked him in a low, conspiring voice, "I've got some in this flask here."

"You managed to smuggle some in?" Lennox looked impressed and lowered his voice too, "Way to go!"

"Yeah," Ronan nodded and winked, "nothing a clever Disguising Charm won't do! Here, have a swig…"

"I'm not sure about this," hesitated Lennox, "I'm Head Boy, you know…"

"Oh, ease up," Ronan nudged him in the ribs, "no one's looking."

Grinning, Lennox drank deeply from the flask. The rich, fiery taste of the drink burned his throat, and he felt his head swim.

"Now we can really get the party started," Ronan smirked into his glass as he watched Lennox walking away.

… James was startled to see Anna walking towards him with furious tears in her eyes, long before Lennox McKinnon could have drunk the love potion.

"What's up, Anna?" he asked. He dressed very handsomely for the ball, but he doubted she noticed that. He, on the other hand, knew perfectly well he had never seen anyone look so beautiful.

"James," said Ana, "I need to see Molly. She's in the girls' bathrooms, but she'll come out eventually, and when she does, could you please ask her to dance?"

James stared at her. Sure, Molly was his cousin and all that, but if he's seen dancing with her during the Yule ball, how is he ever going to live that down?

"You want me to dance with Molly," he repeated to be completely sure.

"Yes," said Anna, looking uncomfortable, "you see, she had – er – an unpleasant conversation with Lavinia, and I'm afraid she is rather upset right now," she explained, embarrassed.

"You mean, Lavinia Malfoy was bullying her," James stated angrily, "Honestly, Anna, I don't know how you could hang out with her for six years without seeing right through her! I'll go find Molly."

"But she's in the girl's bathrooms, James!" Anna called desperately after him as he walked away.

"Never mind that," said James, looking back at her across his shoulder, "and remind me to tell Lavinia Malfoy she's an evil harpy next time I see her."

Once James was out of sight, Anna turned to look for Lennox. She found him right where she left him, staring into space with a blank, vacant expression on his face.

"Hey, Lennox," said Anna breathlessly, preparing to continue enjoying his company, "I'm back."

Lennox gazed at her without really seeing her. "Sorry," he said, "but I must find Rose."

"Rose?" whispered Anna in bewilderment, staring at Lennox's back as he disappeared into the laughing, dancing, chattering crowed, in pursuit of the spot where Rose Weasley stood talking to Al Potter.

… Viktor Krum, meanwhile, led his wife to the table and left her there, breathless from dancing, with a promise to be right back with a couple of drinks for them both. As he walked towards the buffet, he stopped in his tracks, seeing a familiar face adorned by waves of dark hair with a few strands of gray.

"Excuse me," said Krum, "but don't ve know each other?"

The man looked at him indifferently. "Do we?" he asked in a bored, polite, well-bred voice.

"Yes – ve do! You vere educated at Durmstrang a few years below me, your name is Edvard Von Olsten and you vere very good at dueling."

"Mr. Krum, isn't it?" the man surveyed him with those handsome dark eyes he had inherited from Tom Riddle junior, "I know you, of course, as you are quite the celebrity. But I doubt we ever met in person up to this moment. My name is Eugene Collins, and I most certainly have not attended Durmstrang Institute."

… "I told you it would happen sooner or later," Professor Collins whispered urgently to Professor Snape, "someone was bound to recognize me eventually."

"Don't worry," replied Snape in a calm voice, "remember, time is the best Disillusionment Charm in the world."


	12. Chapter 12

"I advise you two not to get too close to me now," Rose warned through gritted teeth as she saw James and Ronan approaching her in the nearly empty common room. Most of the students who were staying at Hogwarts over Christmas break indulged in a lie-in – the ball ended well past midnight the night before.

"Come on, Rosie," grinned Ronan. He was in light spirits, since his evening with Dominique Weasley went well beyond his hopes, and he had already made arrangements for them to go to Hogsmeade together the following weekend. "If you think about it, it's us who did you a favor. Being seen arm in arm with Lennox McKinnon is every girl's dream."

"Oh yes," Rose rolled her eyes. She was slumped in an armchair, too tired to throw something at him. "He couldn't get his hands off me even while we were dancing, that was really embarrassing, Ronan, you know? I only managed to shake him off by telling him I'm going to the bathroom and making it for the exit unnoticed. And to top it all off, Anna hates me now because she thinks I ruined her date…"

"And it didn't even help me get near Anna," James sighed gloomily, "I spent all evening with Molly, dancing with her and comforting her to take her mind off that cow Lavinia Malfoy…"

"Molly really appreciated it, though," noted Rose," she told me later she would have ended up crying in the loo all evening if you didn't go banging on the door and calling for her to get out."

… Fiona and Jeremy arrived in time for Christmas lunch the following day, and were met with boundless enthusiasm on the side of Celena, who pulled her daughter and her future son-in-law into a heartfelt embrace.

Anna was unsurprised to see that the upcoming nuptials did nothing to change her sister's taste in clothing. Fiona was wearing old, rather shabby robes, her hair was cut short as usual and her face was devoid of any trace of makeup. Even though, it was plain to see she glowed with happiness which was mirrored on Jeremy's face when he looked at her.

During lunch, Celena filled the young couple in all that has been going on at Hogwarts.

"I think this reform was the best decision ever," Fiona nodded approvingly, cutting her turkey into small pieces, "hopefully, the young Slytherins will be much better off if they aren't in company with people such as the Malfoys or Travers. And I think it's especially good for Anna to get away from Lavinia Malfoy and her sidekick Gertrude Nott."

Anna looked up from her plate angrily. How dares Fiona talk to her like that, as though she isn't even there!..

"Gertie isn't a sidekick," she said with frostiness worthy of Professor Snape himself, "and Lavinia and I are still best friends."

But were they really? Anna mulled it over as she lapsed into broody silence. She and Lavinia have not exchanged a word since their argument at the ball, and Anna knew it would take no small effort for Lavinia to get down from her high tower. As to herself, she certainly wasn't planning to issue an apology. _She_ had nothing to be sorry for, she told herself with fierce righteousness. The way they were teasing Molly Weasley was dreadful, and she, as Head Girl, was entirely within her rightful obligation to put a stop to it.

"Anna, Marielle wonders if it's okay with you if you two wear silver satin at the wedding," said Jeremy, bringing Anna out of her thoughts. "She has red hair, you see, and pink would clash terribly with it. Or so she asked me to tell you," he added with a grin, "I personally don't have a clue about such things."

"Oh," said Anna, inwardly waving a little sad goodbye to her dream of a bridesmaid's dress in shocking pink. "Yeah, I suppose that would be fine."

"I'll take you girls to Diagon Alley in a few days," said Celena, looking fondly at her two daughters, "we have to get your dresses ordered, and we must also pick something up for you, Severus."

"I have at least a dozen perfectly good sets of dress robes, dear," said Severus with unusual mildness.

"But this is your daughter's wedding!" protested Celena, "No, I'll take your measurements myself and buy you new dress robes, Severus. The same goes for you, Sep. Jeremy, I expect Mrs. Hawthorn has you covered on that score?"

"Yes, Ma'am," smiled Jeremy, while Septimus scowled.

A shopping trip to Diagon Alley! This lifted Anna's spirits, which have been low ever since she got openly ditched by Lennox McKinnon during the ball. This experience was new to her, and it stung. She just couldn't explain it. Sure, Rose was a nice girl and not bad-looking, but this was quite unexpected. Anna had refused to speak to both Lennox and Rose, and dreaded the upcoming return of Quidditch training sessions. It even crossed her mind once or twice to resign from the team.

To Anna's credit, it must be said that for the very first time in her life, she put her foot down and refused to go along with Lavinia Malfoy's plan concerning the interview in "The Pureblood Visionary." In the end, however, it didn't matter much, as even her refusal to speak was incorporated into the interview in a most incriminating way, and when she was summoned to her father's office she wasn't surprised to see Severus Snape in a state of cold fury.

"So," he hissed, "I should have expected this – more moves of a guerilla war from the group of anonymous Slytherins."

"What are you talking about, Daddy?" Anna asked, doing her best to keep her face blank.

"This," said Snape, holding up a fresh copy of _The Pureblood Visionary_ between his forefinger and thumb, as if it was something ugly and contaminated, "those arrogant wolverines have done an article about the Hogwarts reform."

"An article?" repeated Anna.

Snape held up the paper and read selected phrases aloud, pacing back and forth behind his desk.

"_Purebloods at Hogwarts deprived of their natural rights_…" he sneered, "_the board of governors dictating wishy-washy Muggle-loving nonsense_… predictable, to sum it up. But the truly interesting part is in the last paragraph."

"What is that, Daddy?" Anna asked with an ominous feeling.

_"We managed to obtain some detailed comments about the suffocating regime at Hogwarts school from the students who have suffered most at its hands. Lavinia Malfoy, daughter to the well-known Mr. Draco Malfoy and heiress to one of the most prominent pure-blood families in Britain, says: _

_'They broke us apart and placed us randomly in houses where we do not belong. We all suffer, but we are afraid to say something about it.' _

_It is rumored that Head Girl Anna Snape, daughter of the Headmaster Severus Snape, whose rightful authority at Hogwarts had been grievously damaged by the interference of the school governors, attempted to bring up the students' plea when the board of governors first met at the beginning of this school year. When we contacted Anna to set a date for an interview, though, we met with refusal which, as Anna hinted, was rooted in her fear to do damage to her father's career."_

Snape put down the paper and looked at Anna expectantly.

"I did _not_ hint anything!" she said angrily, "I only said I'm not going to give them an interview, that's all!"

"I sure hope so," said Snape, his eyes glinting dangerously, "and I will pretend to believe you knew nothing about this article beforehand. But between you and me, Anna, I will tell you it's time for you to grow up and stop giving so much credit to the judgment of Lavinia Malfoy."


	13. Chapter 13

Severus Snape paced back and forth in his office, hiw black cloak billowing behind him. After a few moments of silence, he rounded on the two other men who were present in the room.

"I don't believe it," he said flatly, "it is too preposterous."

"It's true, Professor Snape," Harry said earnestly, "if only there could be some doubt as to what the Death Eaters plan to do with the time-turners… but after the evidence Professor Collins provided, I believe it's better to face the truth and ask ourselves what we are going to do next."

"So you are saying…" Snape addressed Professor Collins now, "you are saying that that the young Death Eaters…"

"… Intend to tamper with time, yes," Collins nodded calmly, "They don't care about the devastation they might cause, as long as they get what they want."

"Which would be getting me out of the way, so that I don't interfere with Voldemort rising back to power for the second time," added Harry.

"However," continued Professor Collins, "the Ministry has put as much protection around Harry as could be reasonably expected, which means that we can be relatively sure they won't get their hands on him."

Snape continued to pace back and forth, his brow furrowed.

"And you think," he finally said, "that they will try to get to me instead?"

"From the information we managed to gather, that is their plan," nodded Harry, "without being modest, Professor Snape, you must acknowledge what an indispensable part you played in winning the war against Voldemort. I don't reckon we could have done it without you."

"And how is it that you think they are going to dispose of me?" asked Snape, his voice ironic despite the seriousness of the circumstances.

"We believe they are going to go back in time," said Professor Collins, "back to your fifth year, Severus, to the night when James Potter saved you when you tried to go after Remus Lupin as he assumed his werewolf form."

Comprehension began to dawn upon Snape's pale face.

"So they are going to aim to – to turn me into a werewolf," he said slowly, "or worse…"

"Yes," said Harry, "we think they will try to hold my father back – prevent him from saving you…"

Snape let out a strange sound, something between a snort and a snarl.

"Saving me! Saving his skin and preventing his and Sirius Black's expulsion from Hogwarts, you mean."

"At any rate," Professor Collins pressed on before Harry could speak, "if James Potter had let you walk after Remus Lupin that night, you might have not lived to tell the tale, isn't that so, Professor Snape?"

Snape gave a stiff nod. "I suppose so," he admitted reluctantly.

"Our sources of intelligence say that is precisely the moment the intend to disrupt," said Harry, "and of course, we can't allow this."

"Naturally," Snape said crisply, "but what do you?.."

"Professor Collins came up with a plan," said Harry, and a grim shadow flitted across his face, "and I must confess that under the current circumstances, I can think of nothing better. Do explain, Professor Collins."

"We are going to take advantage of the fact that James Potter the second, Harry's son, looks so remarkably like his grandfather," said Collins, "we will use him as bait, make the Death Eaters go for Harry's son, rather than his father. Do you understand what I mean?"

"I do," said Professor Snape, "and I must say I have rarely heard something so idiotic."

"Always the very essence of delicacy, you are, Professor Snape," said Collins, smiling.

"How come does your plan have to involve a teenage boy?" spat Snape.

"I don't like it any more than you do, Professor Snape, trust me on that score," said Harry, "it's my son we are talking about."

"We could use Polyjuice Potion," said Snape, "get a – a few hairs of James Potter, and I could act as his double."

"Combining Polyjuice Potion and time-turning is magic that hasn't been regulated hitherto," pointed out Professor Collins, "and I don't think it would be wise to try it without thorough research."

There was a long silence. "Is James aware of this brilliant plan of yours?" asked Snape finally.

"Not yet," admitted Collins, "but he should be here any moment, and then we can fill him in."

At that very moment, there was a knock on the office door and James Potter shuffled in, looking flushed from skipping stairs. It can be left to the imagination what James must have thought he did wrong this time, but he certainly didn't expect to see his father next to Professors Snape and Collins.

"Uh – Dad?" he asked uncertainly, "what is going on?"

"Do you remember everything I told you, James?" Professor Collins asked sternly half an hour later.

"You are not to do anything you weren't told to do," Harry chimed in, "you are not to stick out. You –"

Humping Hippogriffs, Dad!" said James, losing his temper, "I _know_!"

Author's note: I have an ambitious, adventurous plotline planned out for the next chapters, complete with going back in time and the heroic saving of the lives of James Potter senior and Severus Snape, but I haven't written it out yet, and with how time is sparse now, I don't know whether I ever will. Therefore, in the next chapter I'm skipping right to the scenes leading up to Jeremy and Fiona's wedding.


	14. Chapter 14

"I'm still having doubts about this wedding, you know," Severus Snape said to his wife when there were two weeks to go, "Fiona is only nineteen."

It was late at night, and they were sitting at the kitchen table. Celena was poring over a long to-do list, crossing things off it at lightning speed, yet it still seemed there are countless things to do: invitations to send out, final decisions to make regarding the floral arrangements, last-minute alterations to the bride and bridesmaids' dresses. The levels of tension were so high that Celena seemed to float above it all, because otherwise, she would go insane.

Her husband, it appeared, chose to worry himself about the big picture.

"Nonsense, Severus," Celena said brightly, "Fiona is a very mature, level-headed girl, Jeremy is a nice young man, they are madly in love, and their age difference is, in fact, smaller than ours. And unlike us," she added, with a twinkle in her eye, "they have known each other for years before getting engaged."

Here Severus Snape could offer no counter-argument. Their romance and marriage, indeed, had been a rushed whirlwind highly atypical of the rational individuals they both considered themselves to be.

"I just can't believe she is old enough to get married," Snape said quietly, in a completely different voice.

Celena's quill hovered over the parchment, and she put it aside. She looked her husband in the eye and reached out for his hand. She smiled.

"I know," she said, and her eyes filled with sudden tears.

The Hawthorns arrived a week before the wedding, to be there for the rehearsal and assist the preparations in any way they can. There was still so much to do and Celena was so frazzled that, despite the approaching NEWTs, Anna received an authorization from her father to spend her evenings with her mother and sleep at home during the last days before the wedding.

It was then that she, finally, met her fellow bridesmaid Marielle Hawthorn. Marielle was a good-looking girl about Anna's age, red-haired and buxom, and although she put on an appearance of the liveliest pleasantness, there was something about her that stirred a grain of annoyance within Anna. This was exacerbated by the fact that, since there were only two spare bedrooms in the house and they were occupied by Jeremy and his parents, Marielle was going to share with Anna.

"You don't mind, do you, dear?" her mother asked her anxiously, in a low voice, "I know you need your quiet time in the evenings to study, but Fiona is so nervous these days, which is understandable, and her room is packed now that she and Jeremy moved in all the stuff that they brought from their expedition…"

"No problem, Mum," Anna smiled sweetly, although she felt her voice came out a bit strained. After all, she told herself reasonably, Marielle is a nice girl, and treats her with every distinctive mark of sisterly affection. There was no reason for her to dislike Marielle Hawthorn, really. Not until…

… The weekend following the Hawthorns' arrival, Harry and Ginny came over for Saturday night dinner, and James came along with them.

"James couldn't bear to stay away from all the excitement," said Ginny, smiling fondly.

Marielle Hawthorn eyed James with great interest, and promptly engaged all his attention to herself. This shrill laugh of hers was always overdone, Anna thought to herself as she gritted her teeth and cut her chicken with unnecessary vehemence. James was merely relating a childish prank which was summarized in him smearing toothpaste all over Ronan Caldwell's face in their third year, yet Marielle erupted in gales of mirth as though she had never heard anything funnier, and batted her eyelashes in a manner that made Anna conclude she had never seen a sillier girl.

James, however, appeared to think differently. He was more unreserved than ever before, and kept talking throughout dinner, encouraged by Marielle's undivided attention.

Marielle didn't spare Anna even a sideways glance all through dinner, but when the Potters were gone and the girls went upstairs to bed, Anna fuming silently, Marielle propped herself on her elbow, apparently ready for some cozy girl talk.

"Do you know James well?" she asked.

"I've known him all my life," Anna replied curtly.

"He's really cute," Marielle remarked dreamily.

"I haven't noticed that," Anna's voice was dry.

"Well, that's strange," said Marielle.

Anna regretted that it would appear strange and rude if she asked to return to Gryffindor tower for the couple of days that were left before the wedding.

And finally, the big day arrived. Fiona, dressed in a simple, straight-lined white dress, with a wreath of miniature roses in her short dark hair, walked down the aisle to the spot where Jeremy Hawthorn was waiting for her, smiling radiantly.

Severus Snape's quiet satisfaction as he led his daughter towards her husband-to-be appeared very reserved. He merely pressed Fiona's hand, but she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, beaming.

"Thank you, Dad," she said simply, and all words were caught in his throat as he returned to his place in the front row, next to Celena, who looked resplendent in robes of midnight blue embroidered with silver. Her eyes shone with joyful tears, her face showed rapturous delight, and her beauty, thought Severus, taking her hand in his, surpassed even that of her daughters' youthful radiance.

Next to her, Mrs. Hawthorn was sobbing into a silk handkerchief; Anna and Marielle were standing behind the bride, holding small bouquets of forget-me-nots.

"Isn't it wonderful we decided on wearing silver eventually?" Marielle whispered audibly, "I think it's the only color that would look equally good on both you and me, Anna!"

Anna nodded and smiled a smile that remained pasted to her face for the next hour.

"…Do you, Fiona Evangeline, take Jeremy Alan..?"

"…I, Jeremy Alan, vow to love and to cherish, to honor and to protect…"

Finally, Jeremy and Fiona were pronounced husband and wife, and after a long and heartfelt kiss, a swarm of well-wishers hurried towards them. Everyone were there; Victoire, who rushed towards Fiona and embraced her with an exclamation of girlish delight; Molly Weasley, looking smarter than ever before in robes of dark silk Anna helped her choose; friends of Jeremy who have traveled from all around the world; Hogwarts teachers, the Potters, the Weasleys, Draco and Hermione, and of course, Fleur, who looked stunning as usual and expressed her warmest wishes for Victoire's marriage next summer.

Only Anna stood aside, leaning against a vast-crowned tree, unnoticed in the large number of guests. She looked on to the dance floor, which began to fill; she saw James dance one song after another with Marielle Hawthorn, and revelation after revelation, painful and embarrassing to herself, dawned upon her heart. Tears of frustration welled up in her eyes, but she wouldn't just stand there and mop. Seized by a sudden rush of decisiveness, she spotted James standing alone and rushed forward.

"James," she asked, slightly breathless, "would you like to dance?"

James instantly forgot that he, in fact, was waiting for Marielle to return from the ladies' room, where she retreated to fix her makeup; lost for words, he took Anna's hand and led her to the dance floor. Neither of them was aware of the knowing looks and satisfied smiles that passed between Celena, Ginny and Fleur that moment.

Some way or another, they found their way into a distant, secluded corner of the garden, far from the bubbling noise and raucous jubilation of the wedding party. Anna looked at him, overcome by a sudden desire to confess her vanity, her folly, all the mistakes that made her blind to the true desire of her heart for so long – but then she realized it doesn't matter anymore. James stood in front of her, smiling as though in a dream, and like ever and always, he had eyes for no one but her.

"I had almost given up, you know," he said very quietly and tenderly, running a gentle finger down her cheek.

"Oh, James," Anna sighed happily, smoothing his hair back and wrapping her arms around his neck, "we have both been so silly."

… Severus Snape wasn't as quick as his wife to notice romantic developments, yet even he couldn't fail to notice that his daughter and James Potter remained inseparable for the rest of the day, looking at and talking to no one but each other. Anna's eyes and cheeks were glowing, and James looked a foot taller than usual, and his step was so springy it seemed he was light as a feather as he walked.

"Anna," Severus said in a low voice, drawing her aside, "are you – are you going out with James now? I thought there had been certain," he cleared his throat, "certain preference of Lennox McKinnon on your side…"

Anna looked straight into his eyes and replied quite solemnly:

"Oh, no, Daddy – there could never be anyone but James."

"Well, then," Severus cleared his throat again, "he is a nice boy."

Which, on his side, was candid praise, as well as a statement that the past was now finally, completely and irrevocably buried and could never bother him in any way again.

"I have something to tell you," he said after a pause, "the board of governors has decided that this year's experimental regime had been, shall we say, less than a smashing success, and starting from next year the house of Slytherin is going to be re-grouped again."

He had expected warmer reaction on part of Anna, but to his surprise, she merely nodded.

"Are you sorry that it will only happen by the time you have left school?" he asked.

"No, Daddy," Anna said firmly, "I think everything that has happened was for the best, and now everything is just as it should be, as far as it concerns me."

And Severus now realized that he hadn't seen either Lavinia Malfoy or Gertrude Nott among the wedding guests.

"It is unbelievable," he said quietly, "how quickly you are growing up."

In reply, Anna only smiled enigmatically and looped her arm through his, and together, they made their way back to the guests.


End file.
